Chronic hepatitis virus infection increases the risk of pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis

Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int. 2013 Dec;12(6):575-83.

Xing S, Li ZW, Tian YF, Zhang LM, Li MQ, Zhou P.

Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Health, and Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430030, China. pzhou@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Several reports have inconsistently demonstrated that there is an association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis Cvirus (HCV) infections and pancreatic cancer (PC). The aim of the present meta-analysis is to assess this possible relationship.

DATA SOURCES: Studies were identified by searching available database from January 2000 to July 2012. Possible associations between PC risk and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and its antibody (HBsAb), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and its antibody (HBeAb), anti-HBcAg antibody (HBcAb), and HCV antibody (anti-HCV) were evaluated.

RESULTS: Eight case-control and two cohort studies were included, and their quality scores were assessed by the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS). We found that HBsAg and anti-HCV seropositivity significantly increased risk of PC (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.11-1.48 and OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.02-1.44). The presence of HBsAb was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the risk of PC (OR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.20-0.79) and HBeAb (OR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.39-0.99). HBsAg-/HBcAb+/HBsAb- or HBsAg-/HBcAb+/HBsAb+ profile was not related to PC risk (OR=1.57, 95% CI: 0.83-2.98 and OR=1.24, 95% CI: 0.72-2.14).

CONCLUSIONS: HBV/HCV infection increases the risk of PC. HBsAb and HBeAb seropositivity may be the protective factors against PC. It is still uncertain whether serological pattern of past exposure to HBV with or without natural immunity is associated with an enhanced probability of this malignancy.

PMID: 24322741 [PubMed - in process]

Source

Risk of pancreatic cancer among individuals with hepatitis C or hepatitis B virus infection: a nationwide study in Sweden

British Journal of Cancer , (31 October 2013) | doi:10.1038/bjc.2013.689

J Huang, M Magnusson, A Törner, W Ye and A-S Duberg

Abstract

Background:

A few studies indicated that hepatitis C and hepatitis B virus (HCV/HBV) might be associated with pancreatic cancer risk. The aim of this nationwide cohort study was to examine this possible association.

Methods:

Hepatitis C virus- and hepatitis B virus-infected individuals were identified from the national surveillance database from 1990 to 2006, and followed to the end of 2008. The pancreatic cancer risk in the study population was compared with the general population by calculation of Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs), and with a matched reference population using a Cox proportional hazards regression model to calculate hazard ratios (HRs).

Results:

In total 340 819 person-years in the HCV cohort and 102 295 in the HBV cohort were accumulated, with 34 and 5 pancreatic cancers identified, respectively. The SIR_HCV was 2.1 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.4, 2.9) and the SIR_HBV was 1.4 (0.5, 3.3). In the Cox model analysis, the HR for HCV infection was 1.9 (95% CI: 1.3, 2.7), diminishing to 1.6 (1.04, 2.4) after adjustment for potential confounders.

Conclusion:

Our results indicated that HCV infection might be associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer but further studies are needed to verify such association. The results in the HBV cohort indicated an excess risk, however, without statistical significance due to lack of power.

Source